Summer Transfer Market Is Big Test Of Mike Ashley

Kevin Nolan comes back from his two game suspension tomorrow afternoon at Blackpool.

Kevin Nolan – when last in action against Wolves And he will partner Cheick Tiote in central midfield, and both players have been missed big time since they have been out on two game suspensions.

Kevin is a huge player for Newcastle, and hopefully he can get back on the goals trail tomorrow at Bloomfield Road, against a side with the worst defense in goals conceded (69 and 33 of those at home), in the Premier League.

Kevin Nolan so far has 12 goals for the season, the most of any central midfielder in the Premier League.

Kevin talked to the Evening Chronicle today:

“The 12 I’ve scored in the league is a career-best.” “I once scored 13, but only 11 were in the league.” “It’s about me making sure I work hard for the next few games, and doubly hard in the summer to make sure I get at least 12 next year.”

“Hopefully, we can start building at this club, and once we’ve secured our Premier League status we can try start to climb as high up the table as we can.” “Next year, we’ll hopefully get some signings in the summer and go on from there.”

“It’s nice being in the top 10, and if we can maintain that between now and the end of the season that’ll be a fantastic return for us.” “Then it’s about being ambitious and maintaining that spot.

“Hopefully, we can start breaking back into Europe in the next few years.”

Selling Andy Carroll not only caused much delusion and even anger with the Newcastle fan base, but Jose Enrique and Joey Barton were both dismayed that Newcastle would sell one of their very best players – for any price – and especially when he was a local lad wearing the famous number 9 shirt too.

But that’s water under the Tyne Bridge now, and there’s nothing that can be done about it, it’s happened – it’s done and dusted.

Newcastle have shown a few times this season that in Kevin Nolan, Cheick Tiote, Mike Williamson, Jose Enrique, Jonas Gutierrez and others, that they have some great players in the squad.

If Newcastle can bring in say six top players this summer, through free transfers and by using a big chunk of the £35M the club got from Liverpool in January for Andy, the squad could be improved immensely.

That’s what we are hoping for – and that’s what the Newcastle fans will be hoping for – but the ball is now firmly in Mike Ashley’s court.

“If Newcastle can bring in say six top players this summer, through free transfers and by using a big chunk of the £35M the club got from Liverpool in January for Andy”

Fat chance. The only big money deals Newcastle will be doing this summer will involve selling more players. It’s clear Enrique will be joining Liverpool in May and equally obvious that Barton and Tiote have also been earmarked for sale by the FCB his bigno caller sidekick. On top of that expect one more big name departure, probably Nolan.

As for incoming transfers I expect the Casino Crony to receive little or no funds, leaving him to scrape around for more duffers, crocks and rejects along the lines of Shefki Kuqi who incidentally get a new one year contract in the summer. The best we are going to get in terms of new signings will be some journeyman from the Championship for £1.5 million or an extension of Stephen Ireland’s loan.

When Andy Carroll joined Liverpool in January it wasn’t the first time the FCB and the bingo caller had sold Newcastle’s best player at the end of the transfer window and not re-invested the money. They did exactly the same thing with James Milner in August 2008. After the Milner sale we were promised that in the coming January window the club would be spending not only the Milner money but also other money that had already been earmarked for new players.

What happened when that January window came round? Did they spend the money? Did they hell. Instead they went and sold Given and N’Zogbia and only brought in Nolan and Ryan Taylor making the FCB another £8 million profit on top of the money he got for Milner. Those of you who seem to think that the FCB will be splashing out to sign the likes of Messi, Kaka and Ronaldo in the summer would do well to remember these facts.

Its happened, its done and dusted – and you and I know, Ed, it still smarts. That’s why you can’t stop yourself referring to it and it won’t be done and dusted until we see that money and what quality we are able to get with it and does it mean we are going to lose other key players? It looks as if it won’t cost us relegation. Once we know the answers to those other questions, then we can put Andy Carroll to rest. Until then, it stays on the back-burner for every Toon fan.

Well.. I know you put it on the edge there, but no one is expecting players like Messi, Kaka and Ronaldo…

As I see it, NUFC are working within a reasonable wage cap, and can therefor not attract the greediest players out there (AC being one example). I’m extremely glad the club have this sensible view on things. Hopefully the RIGHT players will come in. Not necessarily the most known players and most expensive, but players that are thoroughly scouted and will add something to the club.

You never know how a player will turn out though (Owen). So I’m pretty sure we won’t see players bought in that cost more than £10M. That might be max price for one, but who knows.

I really dont care how much we spend aslong as we spend wisely, for example buy players like tiote and willo who have excellent work rate and are great what they do aslong as we bring in enough good players, keep our good players and bring in some decent cover then we should be pushing for an even higher finish next season

They got 50m from the Torres deal, they spent 60m on Suarez and Carroll within couple of days and they climbed up the league table. Before this some even thought they would get relegated this season.

The whole world is watching. If you are doing good in the league then those big names, big players and big sponsors will come to you, and you earn money by signing these good deals, not by selling your good players in the club.

I’m not sure he would make the 25 man squad though, he’ll probably go back to Brighton. He did say recently that he would leave if he isn’t going to be a starter next season, they might cash in on him.

I believe NUFC are around seventh or eight place in the earnings league in the EPL. Yes they draw larger crowds than every club apart from Man. U. & Arsenal, but with a small catchment area and not a great worldwide following, their overall income is not that great. But on the other hand, with a thirty five million profit plus a possible additional fifteen for Enrique, there`s enough in combination with the players we already have to build a pretty decent and competitive side. I`m not saying we will actually win anything, but at least we will be able to compete with any EPL side and who knows with the right management, could result in decent sides for years to come .

You’re dead right, I’m not optimistic because with the current set up at NUFC there is absolutely no reason for optimism. We have an owner who has been consistently selling off all our best players ever since he took over the club. Not just Andy Carroll but also the likes of Kieran Dyer, Abdoule Faye, James Milner, Shay Given, Charles N’Zogbia, Sebastian Bassong, Obafemi Martins, Habib Beye, Damien Duff etc. Do you really think there will be no more sales in the summer? I also refer you to the post by ASTORIA:

“all those transfer windows of Ashley cashing in and spending next to nothing, but everyone thinks he will spend £50M this summer”

That says it all.

On top of all that we have got probably the worst manager in English football. A proven failure who was sacked by a third division club before being plucked from the football scrapheap where he well and truly belongs by Newcastle simply because he is one of the FCB’s best and oldest mates. A better example of “jobs for the boys” you’d be hard pressed to find. It’s beyond a joke. The Casino Crony has won 4 out of 18 games as Newcastle manager (and all against bottom clubs) giving him an even worse win percentage than the likes of Souness and Gullit but then again what else would you expect from a manager who lost 8 successive Premiership games with West Ham despite having the talents of Tevez and Mascerano at his disposal. The future for NUFC is bleak no matter how much you try to kid yourself.

As for telling me to support NUFC, when was the last time YOU spent the night in Swansea railway station, paid £90 (in 1980’s money) for a taxi to Stoke on Boxing Day or attended a pre season friendly at Oadby Town?

Jezza, You have got it spot on mate. The numb nuts on this blog are always waiting for the next transfer window before they make a decision about the owner and giving him the benefit of the doubt. He is a serial pocketer of cash, selling the best players and buying kids, old crocks or Championship players. Judge him on the past record not on infantile hopes for the future. A leopard does not change its spots but most numb nuts define it as “careful husbandry or keeping the faith.” We are not supposed to criticize what is going on because we are disloyal. If the owner wants to put our 11 zebras it would not be good, but we should not knock it because we are knocking the team. And lets not mention Pardew and the justification for sacking Hughton and replacing him with a serial failure on a 5 year contract. Does something smell around here?

jezza , well said, i am a ash and alan partridge hater always will be , untill they prove to me they have our club at heart, imo up to date, i have seen nothing that suggests to me they have , i will always support my team on the pitch , but never the hierachy we have at present, dont forget ash has this knack of giving us fans the sense that every thing is ticking over just nice , then all of a sudden he ll drop a grenade in our direction then all hell brakes out, and its back to square 1 , just wait for it boys

Stick to your guns Jezza; there are some fans that are are so blinkered that they shall never understand what makes a succesful club tick, and thats why we shall continue down the path of mediocrity. Ashley is a lying toerag and a past master at deception. Sadly the toon supporters are easily decieved and for this reason I can’t see any change in the fortunes of our club until we wave these Cockney’s goodbye. I’m not really interested in the transfer window, I’d rather busy myself with following the progress of Ben and Gosling and hoping that Barton and En rique stay, but I have my doubts. I would have liked to follow the progress of a local lad called Carroll but that was well and truly smashed by the lying toerags. We had the bones of a good team but the skull is now missing.

The problem is it looks like some of the players, like many fans, have moved from sceptical to disillusioned about the owner. So hanging onto Jose and Joey could be tricky. And then of course, Cheick and Benny will feel they have no option but to follow suit. And will they all be painted as greedy and disloyal? On the other hand, there was a lot of ‘Houghton’s just a yes man’ when he got the job. I haven’t seen much wrong with Pards. The players seem to like him well enough and he is prepared to try things out. He is also scientific and professional and he speaks to the media with reasonable frankness. Apart from the fact that Ashley appointed him and he reportedly had some casino debt (?), I don’t understand why so many are against him. Sure, he could have stood on his principles and walked when Carroll was sold. But it wouldn’t have changed things an iota. And ironically, KK was vilified for taking exactly that stance by at least half the fans. And Jezza, while I agree with most of what else you said, I have to say getting our money back on Dyer was the best bit of business anyone ever did at Newcastle – a deal which has looked better and better ever since.

swooping magpie , do not despair, look on the bright side, carroll was only a 21 year old, 6ft 3 local nufc no9 who could beat anyone in the air, who had defenders sh…ting themselves with his ability who could score with his head for fun , who could score with either foot, and had a rasping shot , and had the whole of europe watching him, oh and who has just been capped for england, and is probably going to be 1st choice no9 for england for the next , mm 10 years some how £35m seems not that much of a bargain anymore, who is playing CF tomorrow for us?

Nice one Stuart no 9! Can you actually believe all of the sheep on here saying it was too much to turn down etc, and following the clubs PR. Big clubs buy the best players for 35M and don’t sell them (Ronaldo and Torres excluded as they wanted to leave, Carroll didn’t).

“I haven’t seen much wrong with Pards…..he is prepared to try things out”

You mean like the nonsensical 3-5-2 formation that saw us stuffed 4-0 by Stoke.

“he speaks to the media with reasonable frankness”

All he does is spout whatever lies and propaganda the FCB tells him to.

“I don’t understand why so many are against him”

How’s about the fact that his 4 wins in 18 games makes him statistically an even worse Newcastle manager than even the likes of Souness and Gullit, or that he came to the club with a track record of proven and repeated abject failure most recently in the third division.

“Sure, he could have stood on his principles and walked when Carroll was sold”

What principles? Pardew knew on the day he got the Newcastle job that Carroll would be sold in the January window and all he did was spend six weeks lying through his teeth about the player not being for sale.

we need players who are 100% commited to nufc and that has shown in most players, i just hope we can keep the players we’ve got now….

As for the transfer window in the summer, ashley has to spend cos there’s no excuse for him not too with the 35m he got for carroll.

if worst come’s to worst and he sold the likes of barton, tiote, enrique…. and doesn’t bring in more talent, then he doesn’t really care about nufc and just the money he’ll make, then he’ll defo lose all trust from newcastle fans as well as heading back to the championship….

but hey! that’s not gonna happen, we’re gonna stay up, get more faces in and do really well next season, c’mon the toon! 😀

When Andy Carroll joined Liverpool in January it wasn’t the first time the FCB and the bingo caller had sold Newcastle’s best player at the end of the transfer window and not re-invested the money. They did exactly the same thing with James Milner in August 2008. After the Milner sale we were promised that in the coming January window the club would be spending not only the Milner money but also other money that had already been earmarked for new players. ———————————————————— Jezza, you really need to check yer facts before posting rubbish like this… we sold Milner & didn’t buy anyone with the funds yeah –

Because if you did, you’d see that we actually spent just under £30m the summer we sold Milner, Zoggs, Given etc etc….

health update

I was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer in February 2017 and completed four months of chemotherapy in late July and will continue to have hormone treatment.

After having various cat scans and a full bone scan recently, I met with the medical oncologist yesterday for a review of my condition.

The cancer in the bones has stabilized and has not spread further, and my PSA count has decreased significantly to being less than 0.1.

I am still recovering from some of the side effects of the chemo treatment - mainly severe fatigue and exhaustion.

Stage 4 cancer is not curable so I will continue to have cat scans and bone scans every four months to ensure the disease is not spreading.

Hopefully, the hormone treatment will keep working for a while yet and then we will switch to some other treatments that have been developed over the last few years.

It is as it is - I accept it - and will do the very best I can under the circumstances.

Ed Harrison

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